Be Careful What You Wish For
by FaithInHim4ever
Summary: When Melody thinks a trip to see relatives will be boring, she makes a wish on a shooting star for something unexpected to happen. When her wish comes true, what consequences will it bring with it? R/R


DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own any of the chars from TLM. They belong to Disney. I do however own Melody Noelle Coralsen, as well as any of her friends and her cousins.

"Be Careful What You Wish For"

It was a warm, spring day in April. Nine-year-old Melody Noelle Coralsen was sitting in her favorite spot, staring out at the ocean. She really wanted to go visit her grandfather and aunts, but her mother said they had to wait until they came back in two weeks.

The reason was, they were going to visit some of Eric's family who lived a few hours away.

Ariel had never been there before and she was looking forward to it with the excitement of a child.

Melody was looking forward to it as well, but not as much. She would much rather of gone to Atlantica instead.

Heaving a sigh, the just turned nine-year-old stood up and made her way back to the house she shared with her parents and Sebastian.

Getting inside, she found her mother reading a book in the den.

Ariel smiled when she glanced up to see Melody standing there.

"Hi, sweetheart." She greeted her warmly. She then got a good look at her daughter's face and grew concerned. "What's wrong?"

Melody sighed as she flopped down next to her mother on the couch.

"It's gonna be so boring over there." She complained. "We see Daddy's sister and brother every Christmas when they come here. Can't we do something different like visit Grandpa or something?"

Ariel giggled despite herself.

Melody gave her mother a confused look.

"What's so funny?" She asked.

"Nothing." Ariel said. She pulled her daughter close and planted a loving kiss on her cheek. "It's just that you sounded like me when your grandfather banned music back home."

"Grandpa did what!" Melody shouted in surprise.

Ariel nodded.

"It's a long story. But it's true." She said. "But to answer your question, we'll visit him and your aunts after we get back. I promise."

Melody gave Ariel a look that told the young mother she was about to protest.

Trying to head it off, Ariel tried a different tactic with her. She and Melody had shared a strong bond from the moment God had blessed her with this miracle and she thanked Him for her every day.

"Why don't you want to go?" Ariel asked her. "I've never been there. It should be fun."

"It's so boring." Melody answered. "I've been there twice. Nothing exciting ever happens. It's gonna be the same old thing just like last year. I wish something different would happen. Something unexpected and exciting."

"Be careful what you wish for, Mel." Ariel advised her daughter. She was the only one Melody allowed to call her 'Mel.

"What do you mean?" Melody asked.

"You may get more than you bargained for. Believe me, I know."

"I'm not asking to be kidnapped by pirates and find an ancient treasure map." Melody explained. "I just don't want to do the same old thing anymore for the holidays. They're always so predictable."

"I'll bet if you got your wish, you would want the predictability back." Ariel said knowingly.

"I don't think so." Melody disagreed. With that, she let her mother pull her close for a cuddle.

Melody must have fallen asleep because the next thing she knew, she woke up in her bed.

She glanced outside to see that it was already dark. She also could see the stars.

As she squinted, she saw what looked like a shooting star to the right.

Taking a deep breath, Melody whispered softly.

"Star light, star bright, first shooting star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, grant the wish I wish tonight. Please let this vacation be anything but predictable. I'm not asking for anything too big, just something unexpected." With that, Melody closed her eyes and was asleep in minutes.

The next morning, Melody woke up to sun streaming into her window.

It was then that she remembered the wish she had made the night before.

Grinning to herself, she got dressed and did her hair.

Once she had washed up, she went downstairs for breakfast.

She found her mother and Carlotta already in the kitchen.

"Morning, sweetheart." Ariel greeted when she saw her daughter enter the kitchen. "Are you hungry?"

"Yup. Morning, Mom." With that, she gave Ariel a hug and kiss.

Sitting at her place, Melody waited patiently for Carlotta to serve her.

Once she had been served, the young girl said Grace before digging in.

Halfway through the meal, Eric joined them. He kissed Ariel and then Melody.

"Well, the carriage is packed." He reported. "It's just waiting for us to get in it."

Ariel giggled.

Melody frowned just then. So far it didn't appear her wish had done any good. They were still going on the trip.

She then remembered what she had wished for and forced herself to relax. She hadn't asked for the trip to be cancelled. She had simply asked for it not to be so predictable.

Taking the last bite of her fruit, Melody winced as she felt pain go through her stomach.

She gasped softly, hoping her parents wouldn't hear.

Fortunately, they were talking about vacation plans, so they didn't notice.

Her mother's voice addressing her brought the young girl out of her thoughts.

"Melody, sweetie, are you all packed?"

"Yeah." Melody replied somewhat distractedly.

"Are you okay, honey?" Ariel asked in concern. She could read her daughter like a book and she got the sudden feeling something was wrong.

"Yeah. I'm fine. I guess I'm just tired from waking up so early." She said. With that, she stood up as straight as she could and pushed in her chair before leaving the room.

After Eric had made sure everything was securely in the carriage and Melody had her fun bag with her, they were off.

A fun bag was something Ariel had come up with back when Melody was younger and would get bored on long trips.

The bag was full of Melody's favorite things such as a few books, some paper and crayons and a few other things to keep her busy.

For the first half of the trip, Melody read a book and stared out of the window at the scenery that went by.

Fortunately, she hadn't experienced anymore stomach pain to which she was grateful.

She decided she had probably swallowed the last bite of her breakfast too quickly or something.

As the hours wore on, the young girl started feeling tired.

She put her book away and laid her head against her mother's right shoulder.

Ariel saw the tell tale signs and obliged her little girl.

She gently guided Melody to lay her head in her lap and started stroking her hair while singing to her.

The motion of Ariel stroking her hair, mixed with the sound of her sweet singing voice always helped Melody get off to sleep easier.

"It was only a matter of time." She whispered to Eric. "She always fights sleep on long rides."

Eric chuckled softly.

"Well that's because she's as curious as you. She wants to make sure she doesn't miss anything."

Ariel giggled softly at her husband's remark. She knew he was right on that point.

Melody had definitely inherited Ariel's curiosity as well as her stubborn streak and need for adventure. She had also inherited her sweet disposition, which balanced out some of the other personality traits.

Melody awoke a few hours later to her mother calling her name.

"Melody, it's time to wake up, honey. We're here."

Blinking sleep out of her brown eyes, Melody opened them to find that they had arrived at their destination.

She recognized the house immediately.

While it wasn't as big as their house back home, it still stood out among the other houses around it.

The reason was, none of the other houses had a giant fake macaw in their front yard.

Ariel helped Melody out of the carriage.

Once on the ground, she let her go and walked behind her.

Ringing the doorbell, the Coralsens' were greeted by Eric's sister, Molly and her husband, Neal.

Molly was a skinny woman with hair the color of gold and eyes the color of safires.

She had a friendly look about her that made Ariel feel instantly comfortable in her presence.

Neal was a little more broad with short brown hair and green eyes. He too looked friendly.

"We thought you'd never get here!" Neal said with a chuckle. "Molly was about to put lunch on hold."

"No I wasn't." Molly argued playfully. She turned to Eric just then. "Don't listen to him. He's such a tease."

"You don't have to tell me twice." Eric assured her as he embraced his sister. "How are you, little sister?"

"I'm good."

Once the two broke apart, Eric smiled at Ariel as he put an arm around her.

"Molly, I would like you to meet my wife, Ariel. Ariel, honey, this is my sister, Molly and her husband, Neal."

"Hi." Ariel said warmly. "It's nice to meet you both. Eric's told me so much about you." She said, turning to Molly.

"All good things I hope." Molly said with an impish grin.

"Yes." Ariel assured her. "Although he did say you pulled a great many pranks when you two were younger."

Molly laughed good naturedly.

"Well he neglected to tell you about the pranks he pulled."

Ariel glanced at her husband with a look of mock surprise on her face.

"I'll tell you about them later." Molly promised. "We'll sit on the back patio and drink some lemonade and have a girls chat."

Ariel grinned.

She was beginning to like Eric's sister already.

Molly turned to Melody.

"And this can't be Melody! The last time I saw you, you were barely six-years-old. How old are you now, sweetie?"

"Nine." Melody replied politely. "My birthday was in March."

"I know." Molly told her as she gave her a hug. "I think there's a belated birthday present waiting for you in the living room."

"You didn't have to do that." Ariel told her.

Molly waved her comment aside.

"I wanted to."

"What do you say, Mel?" Ariel prompted her daughter.

"Thank you." Melody said.

"Aw, you're welcome, honey. But it was our pleasure." With that, she led the way into the house.

She showed her sister-in-law and niece around before they sat down to a fantastic brunch.

"Melody, come sit with us!" Her cousin, Serenity called. She was one of Melody's favorite cousins.

"Mom, is it okay?" Melody asked.

"Sure. Go on, sweetheart. Have fun." Ariel said as she patted her shoulder.

Melody grinned and went to join her cousins.

She sat next to Serenity and across from Abby and Alyssa. Abby was ten and Alyssa was six.

To Alyssa's left was their cousin, Kassie. She was eleven. Even so, the two older girls enjoyed hanging out with Melody and the others.

Abby and Alyssa were Molly and Neal's kids, while Kassie and Serenity's mother was Melody's Aunt Gloria.

Melody loved her Aunt Gloria too. She was a lot of fun to be around and she was pretty cool.

"Did you get my letter?" Serenity asked the minute Kassi and Abby started a conversation about the latest hair styles.

Melody nodded.

"Yup. It was really..." Her voice trailed off as another stab of stomach pain hit.

"Melody, are you okay?" Serenity asked.

"Uh-huh." Melody replied. She didn't know where the pain had come from, but she prayed it went away for good this time.

To Melody's relief, the pain seemed to leave her for the rest of the day.

She even ate seconds for brunch.

Once she had relaxed for an hour while talking to her cousins, they decided to play a game of softball outside.

Melody readily agreed and the kids formed teams in the Johnsons' backyard.

Melody cheered along with Abby and Serenity as she made another home run.

She had totally forgotten about her mysterious stomach pain. She was having fun with her cousins and getting some fresh air.

The best part of all was, her wish seemed to be working.

The reason was, she hadn't expected Serenity to come.

After the game was over, Melody opened her birthday present from her aunt and uncle.

She grinned when she discovered what it was. They had gotten her a new book series called Starlight Stables. It was a series about horses and the girls who owned them.

Melody's favorite land animals were horses. She loved reading books about them just as much as she loved riding and taking care of them.

She thanked Molly and Neal about a billion times, making both adults chuckle.

After dinner was over, which Melody ate all of, she settled down in the living room by the fire with the first volume in the Starlight Stables series.

While she read, Serenity did a crossword puzzle beside her while Kassie and Alyssa played a game of checkers on the floor.

She was halfway through chapter 4, when Ariel announced it was bedtime.

Melody went without complaint. The day had been long and she was a little tired from playing outside for the last few hours.

"Daddy and I will be in the room two doors down from this one." Ariel told her as she tucked her in.

"Okay." Melody said as her eyes closed. "I love you, Mommy."

"I love you too, Mel. Sweet dreams, sweetheart." With that, Ariel kissed her cheek before leaving the room.

The minute Ariel was gone, Serenity snuck into Melody's room.

"Mind if I sleep in here?" She asked. "Abby snores like a motor boat."

Melody giggled despite herself.

"Sure." She replied. She was glad Serenity had asked her to sleep in the same room as her. She had wanted to catch up with her favorite cousin.

Serenity was the only one who knew of Melody's adventures under the sea and actually believed her.

Melody had promised to take Serenity to visit her other home the next time she visited the mer-princess at her house.

The two talked for the next two hours. They really had missed each other and they had a lot to catch up on.

"That home run you scored this afternoon was awesome!" Serenity declared in a loud whisper. "I didn't think you were going to make it, but it was cool!"

"Thanks. " Melody replied. "It was pretty…ow!" She cringed as another stab of pain hit.

"Melody?" Serenity asked in concern. "Are you okay, cuz?"

"Yeah. I'm fine." Melody lied. "Maybe I ate too much."

Serenity nodded, but she didn't believe her. She was about to ask her something when the sound of their bedroom door opening made both girls freeze in fear.

It was only when Melody heard her mother's familiar and soft voice did she relax again.

"Are you two still awake?" Ariel asked as she entered the room.

Serenity looked guiltily at her aunt.

"Yeah. Sorry. We were just talking." The ten-year-old explained.

Ariel nodded.

"It's okay." She assured her niece. "But you two should try and get some sleep. It's getting late."

"Okay, Mom." Melody said as her mother kissed her cheek and put a hand through her hair. "I love you."

"Aw, I love you too, Mel. Sweet dreams you two." She then added, "Go to sleep."

"Yes ma'am." Both girls said in unison, making Ariel giggle.

"I love you, Aunt Ariel." Serenity said.

"Aw, I love you too, sweetie." Ariel assured her as she gave her a hug.

She was about to leave, when Melody sucked in her breath as though in pain.

"Mel?" Ariel questioned worriedly. "Are you okay, honey?"

Melody nodded.

"Are you sure?" She asked.

"Yeah." Melody said although it wasn't true.

"Okay. Night you two." With that, she left the room.

"Why didn't you tell your Mom what was going on?" Serenity asked the second Ariel was out of earshot.

"It's probably nothing." Melody replied. "Like I said, I probably ate too much at brunch." With that, she said good night to Serenity and tried to do as her mother said.

She wasn't sure if she had imagined it, but she could have sworn she felt another stab of pain go through her stomach as she fell asleep.

But since no more came after that one, the young girl was sure she had just imagined it.

A few hours later, Melody awoke with a start. She wasn't sure what had woken her up at first.

She lay still, trying to figure it out. She didn't need to think about it too hard.

The pain in her stomach was back and this time it felt worse.

Trying not to cry out in pain, Melody tried her best to take a deep breath like her mother had taught her whenever she was in a lot of pain.

It worked for approximately two minutes before the pain seemed to double.

Forcing herself to get up, Melody took a few more deep breaths in order to keep from collapsing to her knees from the amount of pain she was in.

She thanked God that her parent's bedroom was only two doors down from hers.

Once she got there, she tried her best to see which side of the bed her mother was sleeping on.

She knew at home she usually slept on the left. Melody prayed she had done so tonight as well.

Taking another deep breath, Melody managed to make her way over to the side of the bed without any trouble.

She was grateful her mother wasn't a heavy sleeper. She didn't have to even shake her to wake her up.

"Mom?" Melody asked. Her voice was threatening to crack with tears any minute. She was hurting really badly and she just wanted the pain to stop. "Mom?" She tried again, praying Ariel would hear her.

Ariel's eyes opened a minute later. She glanced to where the voice was coming from.

The minute she saw who the voice belonged to, she was suddenly wide awake.

"Melody? What's wrong, sweetheart?" She asked. "Come here."

She had sat up by now and had reached her arms out to her daughter.

She was surprised when Melody didn't find comfort in her embrace as she had done so many times before.

"I can't." Melody told her honestly. "Mom, it hurts!"

"What does?" Ariel asked. She was officially worried now.

"My stomach!" Melody whimpered.

Ariel moved to the edge of the bed and pulled Melody into her arms.

The minute Melody felt her mother wrap her arms around her, the dam she had been trying so hard to hold back burst.

"Shh, shh, it's okay, Mel. It's okay. Mommy has you now. You're gonna be okay. When did it start hurting, sweetheart?"

"Yesterday!" Melody replied. She buried her face in her mother's shoulder as more pain came.

"Melody, why didn't you tell me or Daddy what was going on?" Ariel chastised her.

Melody shrugged as best she could in her mother's arms.

"It kept going away." She replied truthfully.

"Honey, you know you can come to us for anything." Ariel reminded her.

"I know." Melody said with a sigh. "I'm sorry!"

"I know you are." Ariel assured her. "Promise me you'll come to us next time the minute you start hurting or feeling bad?"

"I promise." Melody said earnestly.

"Good girl." Ariel praised.

Just then, the pain seemed to double again.

"Ow! It really hurts!" Melody cried. "Mom, please make it stop!"

Ariel's heart was breaking for her little girl. She wanted so badly to help her, but something told her this was beyond the normal stomach flu.

Still, she was going to try her best to help Melody feel better.

"I'm gonna try, sweetie." Ariel told her. "Come on. Let's get you back to bed." With that, she picked the nine-year-old up as carefully as possible and carried her back to the room she was staying in.

Ariel wasn't surprised to find Serenity sleeping in a sleeping bag on the floor.

She knew it was only a matter of time until Serenity ended up in the same room as her best friend.

"All right, there you go." Ariel said as she tucked Melody back in. "I'll be right back." With a gentle kiss to Melody's forehead, Ariel left to get a thermometer.

When she returned, she sat down on the edge of the bed and put the thermometer underneath Melody's tongue.

While she waited for it to beep, she stroked her daughter's hair and started humming softly. She hoped it would help Melody stay calm.

Three minutes later, Ariel took the thermometer out and read the results.

She gasped when she discovered how high Melody's fever was.

"All right, kiddo. It's bath time for you. Come on." With that, she picked Melody up and carried her to the bathroom.

Setting her down upon the ground, she started the water for the bath and closed the door so the bathroom would heat up a little.

"Ow!" Melody cried as more pain stabbed at the right side of her stomach.

"Shh, I know, Mel. I know. You're gonna be okay. I'm gonna take care of you. You'll feel better soon." Ariel soothed.

Once the water was set, Ariel was about to pick Melody up and set her in the tub, when Melody felt her stomach twist painfully.

She knew what was going to happen even before she felt the pain triple.

"Ma-Mom." She whimpered.

"Melody, it's okay." Ariel assured her. She turned around to see what was wrong just as Melody covered her mouth in anticipation of what she knew was coming.

Ariel saw her distress and took charge immediately.

She tried to calm her as she helped her to endure what was bound to happen soon.

"Shh, I know, Mel. I know…" Ariel soothed as her daughter brought up the contents of her stomach.

Once Melody's stomach had calmed down, she still felt sick and she was starting to feel dizzy. This didn't help the nausea she was still feeling by any means.

"Mom, I…I don't feel good!" Melody cried.

"I know you don't, Melody. I know. Come on." With that, Ariel managed to get her to sip a little water before placing her in the tub.

Melody was used to the cold water from swimming in the ocean, so it didn't bother her.

The only thing that was bothering her at the moment was the pain she was feeling.

As Ariel was about to get Melody out, there was a knock at the door.

"Ariel?" Came Eric's concerned voice. "Honey, are you in there?"

"Yes." Ariel replied.

"All right. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Eric, come here." Ariel said urgently. "I need your help. Something's wrong with Melody."

At the sound of his daughter being in trouble, Eric opened the bathroom door and joined his wife and child in the tiny space.

"What's the matter, pumpkin?" He asked. He patted her shoulder in an effort to comfort her.

"My stomach hurts!" Melody cried before burying her face in Ariel's shoulder.

"She got sick too." Ariel informed him. "She has a pretty high fever. That's why I put her in a cool bath. I wanted to see if it would help lower it, but I don't think it helped."

Eric nodded.

"Bring her into our room and I'll see what I can do." He told her. "It's gonna be okay."

Ariel nodded. She just prayed her husband was right.

When they arrived back in the bedroom they were using for the two weeks they would be staying at Molly and Neal's, Ariel laid a crying and shivering Melody on the bed.

She sat beside her and let her squeeze her hand for support.

"All right, honey. Tell Daddy when I touch the spot that hurts the most." Eric instructed his daughter gently.

Melody nodded as another sob escaped her lips.

"Shh, shh, it's okay, Mel. It's okay." Ariel soothed. She just prayed it would be.

Eric put his right hand on Melody's stomach and felt from left to right.

It wasn't until he touched the far right side, did Melody let out a painful wail and try to move closer to Ariel for comfort and protection.

"Daddy didn't' mean to hurt you." Ariel comforted.

"I know!" Melody answered tearfully.

Eric frowned as he glanced at Ariel.

"Well, if I'm right, we need to get Melody to a hospital immediately."

"Why?" Ariel asked worriedly. "What's wrong with her?"

"I think she has Appendicitis." Eric explained. "It's best to get her checked out by a doctor as soon as possible. If I'm right, she needs it taken out within the next few hours to prevent infection."

This just made Melody cry harder. She didn't want an operation and she certainly didn't want to go to the hospital.

"Shh, shh, it's okay…" Ariel soothed. 'I know you're afraid. It's okay to be scared, Mel. But Daddy and I will be right there with you. We won't leave you."

Melody calmed at this, but she was still in a great deal of pain.

Before Melody knew it, she was laying in a hospital bed waiting for the doctor to tell them what was wrong with her.

She had a feeling her father was right, even though she didn't want him to be in this case.

Ariel had kept her word.

While Eric signed some paperwork, Ariel stayed by Melody's side. She didn't leave her once.

She sung to her and tried to keep her calm when the doctor had started an IV to rehydrate her as well as when she did the blood test.

Just as Ariel was finished singing "In Harmony" which was one of Melody's favorite songs, the doctor came back in.

She was a kind faced woman with blond hair and green eyes.

"Hi, sweetheart. My name is Dr. Cindi Johnson. But you can call me Cindi if you like."

"Did you find out what's wrong with Melody?" Ariel asked anxiously.

Cindi nodded.

"It seems your husband should think of possibly getting a medical degree."

Melody squeezed her mother's hand tighter at the sound of Cindi's words. She didn't' like where this was going at all.

"I'm afraid Melody has Appendicitis." She explained. "She needs her appendix removed right away. We can get it done in an hour or two. It's very minor."

Ariel nodded.

"Will she be okay?" She asked worriedly.

"In a few days she'll be as good as new." Cindi confirmed. "You can stay with her until we take her in. Once she's done, either my student, Arainia or I will come and get you and your husband. Only one person is allowed in pre-op with her."

Ariel nodded.

Before she had a chance to ask, Melody glanced up at her. There was fear in her brown eyes and Ariel could see it instantly.

"Mommy, don't leave me!" She cried.

""I won't, sweetheart." Ariel soothed her. "I promise."

Eric returned a few minutes later.

"Well, if it isn't the family doctor." Ariel joked.

"What do you mean?" Eric asked.

"You were right." Ariel explained.

Eric frowned.

"You're gonna be fine, baby." He assured their scared daughter. "Mommy and I will be right there when you wake up."

"Okay." Melody said. She had a death grip on Ariel's left hand and she wasn't planning on letting go any time soon.

Eric gave Melody a kiss and told her he loved her before Cindi took her into pre-op.

When they arrived, Melody tried to bury her face in Ariel's shoulder when she saw the syringe in Cindi's hand.

"Aw, it's okay, honey." Cindi assured her. "It won't hurt. It's just the medicine to make you sleepy."

Melody merely whimpered as it went in.

"Shh, it's okay, Mel. Mommy's right here." Ariel reassured her. "You're gonna feel better soon."

"Sing, please?" Melody asked as another sob escaped her lips.

"Aw, of course I will." With that, Ariel started singing Melody's second favorite song, "Daring to Dance."

Once she was done, Melody was almost fast asleep.

"Aw, that's my girl. I love you, sweetheart. I'll see you when you wake up." With that, Ariel gave Melody a kiss and stroked her hair.

She walked down to the OR doors with her before leaving to meet Eric.

"Melody? It's time to wake up, sweetheart. Come on, honey."

Melody heard a familiar voice calling her name. She struggled to listen to it, but she felt too tired at the moment.

"Mel."

There it was again. The voice was getting closer and it sounded like her mother's.

Opening her eyes, Melody felt her mother stroking her hair and heard her humming softly.

"Hey, Mel." Ariel greeted her softly. "You're awake. How do you feel?"

"My stomach still hurts!" Melody whimpered before starting to cough.

"It's gonna hurt for a few days." Ariel told her. She held a cup of water out for Melody to sip. "But you're gonna be fine. The operation's over. You did great. I'm so proud of you." With that, she leaned over and kissed Melody's forehead.

"Me too, honey." Eric said as he came into the room. He was holding a plush bear and some balloons in his left hand.

Melody grinned upon seeing them.

"Thanks, Dad." She said weakly. She was still really tired from the operation and the pain she had been in.

"You're welcome, pumpkin." He said as he kissed her cheek. "You did really well."

He turned his attention to Ariel.

"I'll be right back. I'm gonna get some coffee. Do you want anything?"

Ariel shook her head.

"No thanks." She replied.

"How about you, honey?" Eric asked, turning to Melody. "Do you want anything to drink?"  
Melody shook her head.

"All right." With that, he was gone.

A few minutes of silence passed before Melody broke it.

"You were right, Mom." She said.

"About what?" Ariel asked. She was truly curious to see where her daughter was going with this train of thought.

"You should be careful what you wish for. You just might get it and then some."

Ariel grinned down at her daughter lovingly.

"You didn't wish for this to happen." She said reasonably.

"I know." Melody confirmed. "But I did wish for this trip to be unpredictable." She took a deep breath as a small stab of pain hit her stomach. "And I guess my wish came true."

"That's the thing about wishes." Ariel told her. "They come true in all kinds of ways." She paused in thought for a minute or so. "So, the next time you see a shooting star, what are you gonna wish for?"

Melody knew the answer to this question without even thinking about it.

"Nothing." She replied.

Ariel gazed at her in surprise.

"Really?"

"Really." Melody affirmed. "I think I've had enough excitement for a long time."

"I couldn't agree more, sweetie." Ariel said as she planted a kiss on Melody's right cheek while stroking her hair. "I couldn't agree more."

THE END


End file.
